Welsh children’s’ behaviour and attendance at school is to come under the spotlight as part of an inquiry by a Welsh Assembly committee.
The National Assembly’s Children and Young People Committee has launched a public consultation to help gather evidence to consider..
The committee will be examining the effectiveness of the Welsh Government’s policies to promote positive behaviour and attendance.
Some examples of what the committee will look at include the use of exclusion, what support and training is given to teachers and whether there are good links between parents and schools in addressing these issues.
The committee will also look at what the Welsh Government and local authorities are doing to bring absence rates among pupils down.
“Although absence rates are falling and have done consistently over the past few years the Minister for Education has stated that there is more work to be done,” said Christine Chapman AM, Chair of the Children and Young People Committee.
“Wales is still behind other parts of the UK in reducing these rates and the Committee will be exploring why that is and what improvements are necessary.
“We would like to hear the views and ideas of anyone with an interest in these issues.”
Anyone wishing to contribute to the consultation can either email CYPCommittee@wales.gov.uk or write to: Clerk to the Children and Young People Committee, National Assembly for Wales, Cardiff Bay, Cardiff, CF99 1NA.
The closing date for submissions is Friday January 18, 2013.
Earlier this month, the Welsh Government revealed plans to introduce fines for parents whose children regularly ship school.
In September it was reported that the number of children absent from secondary schools in Wales had dropped.